Perugia Tourist & Travel Guide from Italy Heaven View Larger Map Perugia's hilltop town centre - connected by escalators - is a good place to explore medieval lanes and fine buildings. Corso Vannucci, the town's principal street, is pedestrianised and leads to the main square, Piazza IV Novembre. A grand thirteenth-century fountain known as the Fontana Maggiore is the square's centrepiece. The town's cathedral, the Duomo or Cattedrale di San Lorenzo has a baroque facade and Roman ruins below, but dates mainly from the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.The cathedral museum contains some of the finer artworks from the church, including an altarpiece by Luca Signorelli. As the region's capital, Perugia is home to the Museo Archeologico Nazionale dell'Umbria, a regional archaeological collection including interesting local Etruscan exhibits, and also to the main Umbrian art gallery, the Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria, which includes works by Piero della Francesca and Fra Angelico. The art gallery is housed in what is probably Perugia's most notable building, the Palazzo dei Priori.

This is the old civic palace, the town's administrative headquarters, sitting proudly right at the heart of town. Attractive and formidable on the outside, the medieval building contains fine frescoes, including some - in the old money exchange, the Collegio del Cambio - by local star artist Perugino. Other sights in Perugia include a 36-metre deep Etruscan well (Pozzo Etrusco), the Rocca Paolina fortress, a museum of the city walls and gates, a Roman mosaic within the university buildings on Via Pascoli, various appealing churches from different eras and the Botanical Gardens outside the Porta San Costanzo. If you are particularly interested in chocolate, it is possible to learn more about the Perugina company, famed for chocolates called baci - kisses - at their Casa del Cioccolato and Museo Storico (historic museum) at San Sisto, outside town. Perugia tourist information office is at Piazza Matteotti, 18. The tourist board produces thorough tourist guides to the town in English - which can even be downloaded in advance as a good preparation for your visit (see our links panel).

Various combined tickets are possible for the tourist attractions, so it's worth looking into ways to save money. Perugia airport, travel and transport Perugia airport is called the Aeroporto Internazionale dell'Umbria, and also Perugia Sant'Egidio. Ryanair - at the time of writing - operate flights to Perugia from London Stansted. The airport is only eight miles from Perugia, and there is a limited bus service into town, stopping by the railway station and in Piazza Italia. More details are available on the airport website (see our links panel) under the heading trasporti. Alternative airports for Perugia are much further away - possible gateways include Rome (from Fiumicino Airport there are occasional direct buses), Florence, Ancona and Pisa. Ancona is just under three hours away by train, changing at Foligno. Pisa is a 3 - 4-hour journey with one or two changes. Central Florence is two hours away by train. Perugia is served by lifts, escalators, a bus network and a novel new driverless system called the Minimetro, which connects the historic centre with the railway station and other parts of town.

The local transport company is called APM. Things to do around Perugia The closest tourist destinations to Perugia are the lovely pilgrimage town of Assisi - just 20 minutes away by train - and Lake Trasimeno. A circular tour of the Umbria region could take in a range of pretty historic towns: Assisi, Spello, Spoleto, Orvieto, Lake Trasimeno and Gubbio. There are also plenty of smaller towns and villages where travellers can potter and pass a pleasant couple of hours. Deruta is famous for its ceramics and is a good place to view Italian majolica in a museum and to buy in local shops. Where to stay in Perugia It would be hard not to be tempted by the Etruscan Chocohotel , a cunning weaving-together of Perugia's claims to cultural fame. This three-star is outside the town centre, but has the advantages of a swimming pool and car parking. Tourists who prefer to be based in the historic centre could try the popular three-star Hotel Fortuna or the four-star Sangallo Palace near the foot of the escalators leading up to town.

Umbria, region of umbria, umbria region Umbria, region of umbria, umbria region Umbria Details Umbria, at your own pace. Explore Umbria on foot, savouring life’s simple pleasures. Umbria, at your own pace. Explore Umbria on foot, savouring life’s simple pleasures. Umbria Umbria is one of the only landlocked regions in Italy. Situated more or less in the centre of Italy, it is bordered by Le Marche, Lazio and Tuscany. Umbria is divided into two provinces, Perugia and Terni. Perugia is the capital of the region. Umbria covers an area of approximately 8,500 square kilometres and has a population of 867,878, the fourth lowest of all the regions in Italy. Its beautiful scenery of woodlands and gently rolling hills has led it to be called the "Green Heart of Italy". Umbria is 'Picture Postcard' Italy. Although most visitors are drawn to Umbria for the beautiful scenery, they soon discover that the region has many wonderful artistic and historical relics as well. Almost every town hosts beautiful examples of Medieval and Renaissance art.

Wonderful frescos such as those in the famous St. Francis Basilica in Assisi are lovingly preserved by the people of the region. Churches, ancient buildings, and roman theatres still stand virtually unchanged by time as a testament to the artistic and scientific achievements the inhabitants. Visitors can also enjoy a glimpse of ancient hand-crafting techniques in ceramics and pottery that are still in use today. Umbria is also home to many fascinating museums and cultural centres. Umbria Climate (Perugia) Umbria Perugia, Terni, Italy Coming soon What to do:  For nature lovers you can explore the Province of Perugia can choose from amongst a wide range of activities. Urban hiking is a great opportunity to explore hidden corners and little known historical places. An example of this is the "Umbria underground" route, where many towns, including Perugia and Todi, can be visited through underground passages and tunnels, enriching our historical and archaeological knowledge in a fascinating way.

Those who love contact with nature can choose from amongst a wide range of activities thanks to the great natural heritage of this region: hang-gliding from Mount Subasio, hiking, cycling, nordic skiing, mountain biking, equestrian tourism or fishing. The more skilful excursionists will find on Mount Cucco several routes to explore its underground caves.  In the Lake Trasimeno Park, set among the Umbrian hills, it is possible to follow bicycling, walking or horse-riding itineraries, in order to discover the hills surrounding the lake and the towns overlooking it. This is a great way of enjoying the territory from the environmental point of view, while getting to know also the history and the traditions of the towns surrounding the lake.  The thermal baths of Fontecchio, near Città di Castello, have been valued since the time of Pliny the Younger, while the thermal baths of San Faustino, near Massa Martana, with their waters gushing out from between the Martani Mounts and the Mounts of Todi, are surrounded by the vibrant green characterising the area.

Places to visit: Churches, Museums, Ruins, Piazzas, Fountains,  The Cathedral of S. Lorenzo.  Church and abbey of San Pietro (late 16th century).  Basilica of San Domenico (begun in 1394 and finished in 1458). It is located in the place where, in Middle Ages times, the market and the horse fair were held, and where the Dominicans settled in 1234. According to Vasari, the church was designed by Giovanni Pisano. The interior decorations were redesigned by Carlo Maderno, while the massive belfry was partially cut around mid-16th century. It houses examples of Umbrian art, including the precious tomb of Pope Benedict XI and a Renaissance wooden choir.  Church of Sant'Angelo or of San Michele Arcangelo (it is the same) (5th-6th centuries). It is an example of Palaeo-Christian art with central plan recalling that of Santo Stefano Rotondo in Rome. It has 16 antique columns.  Church of San Bernardino (with façade by Agostino di Duccio).

 Church of Sant' Ercolano (early 14th century). Currently resembling a polygonal tower, it had once two floors. The upper one was demolished when the Rocca Paolina was built. It includes Baroque decorations commissioned from 1607. The main altar is made of a 4th sarcophagus found in 1609.  Church of Sant'Antonio da Padova.  Church of Santa Giuliana, heir of a female monastery founded in 1253, which in its later years gained a reputation for dissoluteness, until the French turned it into a granary. It is now a military hospital. The church, with a single nave, has traces of the ancient frescoes (13th century), which probably covered all the walls. The cloister is a noteworthy example of Cistercian architecture of the mid-14th century, attributed to Matteo Gattapone. This is contemporary with the upper part of the campanile, whose base is from the 13th century.  Templar church of San Bevignate.

 The Palazzo dei Priori (Town Hall, encompassing the Collegio del Cambio, Collegio della Mercanzia, and Galleria Nazionale), one of Italy's greatest buildings.The Collegio del Cambio has frescoes by Pietro Perugino, while the Collegio della Mercanzia has a fine later 14th century wooden interior. Events:  The Province of Perugia hosts events, such as Eurochocolate where chocolate, in all its varied forms is the rightful protagonist, and Umbria Jazz, the jazz music festival that every year gathers together the most important artists of the jazz world.  In Spoleto, the Festival dei due Mondi immerses spectators in the noble arts of music, dance, theatre, and literature against the wonderful scenery the town has to offer.  Amongst the festivals and popular traditions particularly worthy of attention are: the Festival of the Ceri in Gubbio, where the protagonists are three heavy candles carried in procession to the Basilica of San Ubaldo; and the Cross-Bow Palio held in Gubbio, a contest between the Gubbio crossbowmen and their Tuscan counterparts from Sansepolcro.

Tours avaiable in the region: The Cuisine Of Italy – Perugia | jovinacooksitalian Healthy Italian Cooking at Home The Cuisine Of Italy – Perugia Perugia is the capital city of the region of Umbria in central Italy, near the River Tiber. The city is located about 102 miles north of Rome. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys surrounding the area. Skyline of Perugia hilltop city and valley The history of Perugia goes back to the Etruscan period. Perugia was an Umbrian settlement but first appears in written history as Perusia, one of the 12 confederate cities of Etruria. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Perugia was destroyed by Totila in 547; then it belonged to the Byzantine conquerors, and finally it became a powerful independent city allied to the Papal State. The 14th century was characterised by violent struggles between Nobles (Beccherini) and Populars (Raspanti) and by the war against the Pope who wanted the Umbrian cities to be under his rule.

The war ended with the Peace of Bologna in 1370, when Perugia was forced to recognize the Papal authority. However, the city continued to be divided by rival factions fighting for power for many years after. In 1540 Perugia was placed under the direct control of the Papal State. The papal rule continued until the formation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861. Perugia today is a modern and cosmopolitan city known all over the world because of its cultural events and the universities. Collegio della Mercanzia The piazza is surrounded by splendid buildings, and in the center stands the FONTANA MAGGIORE: a beautiful medieval fountain that was erected in the second half of the 12th century. Perugia is a well-known artistic center of Italy. The famous painter Pietro Vannucci was a native of Città della Pieve near Perugia. He decorated the local Sala del Cambio with a beautiful series of frescoes; eight of his pictures can also be admired in the National Gallery of Umbria. Perugino was the teacher of Raphael, the great Renaissance artist who produced five paintings in Perugia and one fresco.

Another famous painter, Pinturicchio, lived in Perugia. Galeazzo Alessi is a famous architect from Perugia. The city symbol is the griffin, which can be seen in the form of plaques and statues on buildings around the city. city symbol is the griffin The city is also known as a university town, with the University of Perugia (about 34,000 students), the University for Foreigners (5,000 students), and some smaller colleges, located there. Annual festivals and events include: the Eurochocolate Festival (October), the Umbria Jazz Festival, and the International Journalism Festival (in April). Collegio del Cambio The Food Of Umbria Often called the green heart of Italy and home to many of the country’s most famous hill towns, Umbria is a rolling patchwork of olive groves, vineyards, fields, and forests. Food here is hearty and simple, and meat reigns supreme, especially pork and game, such as boar and hare. The pork butchers of Norcia are famous for their sausages and salumi.

Umbrian food is a cuisine of the hearth, with meats and sausage slowly roasted or grilled over a wood fire. Black truffles appear in autumn, contributing flavor to pastas and other dishes. Like the Tuscans, Umbrians like their bread sciapo, or “unsalted” a fitting complement to the often highly salted food of the region. Notable Umbrian wines include Orvieto Classico, a renowned white, and Sagrantino di Montefalco, a lush, full-bodied red. Some Perugian Specialties Porchetta, a regional specialty that is now found throughout central Italy, is made from a whole pig that is boned, stuffed with garlic and herbs—usually fennel and rosemary—salted liberally, and slowly roasted until the skin is golden and crisp and the meat tender and juicy. Because home ovens are not large enough to hold a whole pig, the job is left to professionals, who sell porchetta by the slice in freshly made sandwiches at local markets and along roadsides. Boiling and roasting with olive oil and herbs are common culinary methods of this region. Vegetable dishes are popular in summer and spring, while meat dishes are traditional winter cuisine.

Umbrian grown flour-and-water pasta hand rolled into individual strands like thick spaghetti, often served with meat ragù or tomato sauce. Torta al testo, a flatbread cooked on rustic griddles, then split and stuffed with pork sausage, cooked greens, prosciutto, or other savory fillings. Bruschetta and crostini, toasted bread. topped with olive oil and garlic, tomatoes, or savory spreads, such as liver Ote, fava bean puree, or truffle paste. Porcini mushrooms with a meaty consistency, are roasted or sauteéd and tossed with pasta. Lentils, Italy’s most famous tiny legumes, are grown in the high plains of Castelluccio. Chocolate The Perugina candy company takes its name from its hometown, Perugia, the region’s capital. In November 1907, a group of four men in Perugia (including the son of the man who started the Buitoni pasta company) founded the “Perugina Confectionary Society” (Società Perugina per la Fabbricazione dei Confetti) and opened their doors in the historic center of town.

The Perugina chocolate company, as it’s known today, grew steadily, but it wasn’t until 1922 that Perugina started producing the treat that is now known as – Baci. Baci, those bite-sized chocolates with a whole hazelnut at their center, were the brainchild of the wife of one of the Perugina founders, a woman who had been instrumental in the company’s recipes and product line since the beginning. She first called her new candy “cazzotto,” or sock, but one of the other founders decided “baci,” or kisses, sounded more delicious. And those little love notes included in every Baci wrapper? They were there from the very beginning. (As a side note, purists may be dismayed to learn that Perugina was acquired by Nestlè in 1988. Perugia was the obvious location for a chocolate festival and the EuroChocolate has grown into one of the biggest chocolate festivals in all of Europe, attracting almost one million visitors to Perugia every October. The 9-day festival includes chocolate vendors from Italy and elsewhere, classes on various chocolate-related topics, chocolate sculpture displays and live chocolate sculpting demonstrations.

Walking down the main street- Corso Vanucc Make Some Perugia Inspired Recipes At Home First Course Chickpea, Mushroom and Farro Soup Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans) or 3-15 oz cans, drained and rinsed 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 large onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 small fresh rosemary sprig 1 tablespoon tomato paste Sea salt and freshly ground pepper 6 cups vegetable stock or water 1/3 cup farro 1/2 Ib. fresh cremini mushrooms, brushed clean 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling 1 clove garlic, minced 2 tablespoons dry white wine 1 fresh thyme sprig Sea salt and freshly ground pepper 1 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter Directions: If using canned beans skip step 1. 1. Pick over the chickpeas and discard any misshapen beans or stones. Rinse the chickpeas under cold running water and drain. Place in a large bowl with cold water to cover generously and let soak for at least 4 hours or for up to overnight.

Drain the chickpeas, rinse well, and transfer to a large saucepan. Add 8 cups cold water and bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off the foam that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the chickpeas are tender, about 2 hours. Remove from the heat. Drain. 2. In a soup pot over medium-low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion, garlic, and rosemary and sauté until the onion is softened and translucent but not browned, about 6 minutes. In a small bowl, dissolve the tomato paste in 1 cup warm water and add to the pot. Stir in the chickpeas and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 3 minutes. Add the stock, return to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, until the flavors have melded, about 30 minutes longer. Remove and discard the rosemary sprig. 3. Process the soup in the pot with an immersion blender.

Return the soup to a simmer over medium heat, add the farro, and cook until the farro is tender yet still slightly firm and chewy, about 25 minutes. 4. Meanwhile, to prepare the mushrooms, cut away the tips of the mushroom stems. Thinly slice the mushrooms lengthwise. In a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until they begin to soften, 3-4 minutes. (They might stick to the pan for a moment before beginning to release their juices, but it is not necessary to add more oil.) Raise the heat to high, add the wine and thyme, and cook, stirring constantly, to cook off the alcohol from the wine, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, season with salt and pepper, and continue to cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are cooked and their juices have evaporated, about 15 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and discard the thyme sprig. Stir in the butter. 5. Add the mushrooms to the soup and stir to combine.

Ladle the soup into warmed soup bowls, garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of freshly ground pepper. Second Course Squab in the Umbrian Style I substitute Cornish Game Hens for the Squab. A side of sauteed mushrooms goes very well with this entree. Serves 4-8, depending on whether you cut the hens in half. Ingredients 4-8 slices coarse country bread Directions Rinse the hens and dry well inside and out. Use kitchen string to tie the legs of each hen loosely together. In a heavy-bottomed, wide, deep skillet or Dutch oven large enough to accommodate the 4 birds, warm the oil and garlic together over medium-low heat. Sauté until the garlic is golden, about 4 minutes. Remove and discard the garlic. Tie the sage and rosemary sprigs together with kitchen string and add to the pan along with the cloves and lemon zest. Raise the heat to medium and add the birds; brown them evenly, about 15 minutes. Add the wine, vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste.

Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the hens are tender, about 15 minutes longer, adding a few tablespoons of water, when necessary, to keep the birds moist. Be sure not to overcook them, or the meat will dry out. Scoop out and discard the bundled herbs, cloves, and lemon zest from the pan juices and check for seasoning. Remove the pan from the heat and let the birds rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, toast the bread. Remove the strings from the birds. Serve each hen on a plate alongside a slice of bread. De-fat the pan juices and pour over each serving. Dessert Course Umbria Food and Cuisine | Umbrian Region of Italy Culture, Cooking and Cuisine by Italian Region POSTED August 26, 2014 The only landlocked region in Italy, Umbria is located almost dead center of the country. There are no metropolitan cities in the region, but the lack of industry is made up for ten-fold by the natural beauty of the countryside and the preservation of early architecture, buildings dating from the Medieval period dotting the landscape throughout the area.

Because it has no water border, the sea air is not a factor in Umbria climate or its farming conditions. Water is plentiful in Umbria, however, as the Tiber River runs along the southern border and separates Umbria from Lazio, creating a wide area of rich agricultural land. With the Apennine Mountains and Marche to the east and Tuscany to the west, Umbria’s own terrain is an idyllic mixture of pastureland, hills and forests. The result is a region full of rustic cooking tradition, with many recipes and agricultural pursuits still governed heavily by ancient superstitions and rituals. The region’s capital is the medieval town of Perugia, in the province of the same name, and is famed for the silky rich chocolates produced there. But the gem in the culinary crown of Umbria is without doubt Norcia, a southeastern town in the mountains celebrated for its delightful cheeses made from sheep’s milk, its wealth of black truffles (white truffles are also found in the area), and its excellent and unique pork products made from nut-fed black pigs. Umbria is home to many food festivals throughout the year, so the culinary traveler is delighted almost year round.

Some of the most interesting festivals, though, are the ones that attract mostly locals. The town of Spello hosts a food festival each year around the beginning of February in which bruschetta and olives take center stage. The Festival of San Martino is reveled in each year in November in the town of Sigillo, when the locals greet the winter months with wine and chestnuts. Wheat and spelt, pearl barley, grapes, olives, lentils, red potatoes, sunflowers and fruits and vegetables of all kinds grow well in the fertile lands of Umbria, and provide the basis for hearty Umbrian cooking. The black truffle holds serious weight as an easy-to-find delicacy in the area, along with white truffles. Both grow well in the lushly forested areas around the region. Abundant as well are forest animals like deer and wild pigs, providing game meats and venison as hearty elements to many Umbrian dishes. Most farming households also raise cows, sheep, goats, pigs and chickens to help fill their pocketbooks and their stomachs, though the love of wilder meats rises to the forefront of Umbrian cooking. While Umbria has no sea border, it doesn’t lack for fresh fish.

The Tiber River and the Transimeno Lake are a fisherman’s paradise, with carp, trout and perch being both plentiful and favorites of the Umbrian table. The olives grown in the region offer some of the best flavors in Italy, and the olive oil produced in Umbria is prized both locally and beyond the borders of the area. Often this olive oil is used as the only condiment to many Umbrian dishes. Fresh, simple breads made by local hands pair perfectly with the region’s pecorino umbro cheese. The wines of Montefalco have an interesting history, having been identified as important local products early on. In the 1400s a city council even made it illegal for people who owned grapevines in the area to neglect them and the fruits they produced. As a result, Montefalco wines are some of the most surprising and delightful local flavors -–well worth any visitor’s time to linger over. Each year around Easter the town holds a wine festival celebrating – literally – the fruits of its winemaking labors. The town of Norcia is widely acclaimed for the skill of its butchers, and nothing goes to waste.

Pork products in particular are the reason chefs worldwide seek out meats from this area. Prociutto di Norcia is made exclusively from the meat of pigs fed only acorns to give the meat a distinctive woodsy flavor. Capocollo is a spicy local sausage flavored with peppers and garlic. Barbozzo is the prized cheek meat of mature pigs. The Umbrian version of Coppa is a sausage made from the savory bits of meat found throughout the pig’s head. Budellacci are the chitterlings of Umbria, made of cleaned, smoked and broiled pig intestines. Mazzafegati is a sausage made from highly spiced pig liver. Sanguinaccio (or “black pudding”) is an unusual sweet and savory but highly perishable dish made by salting pig’s blood and adding fat, bread, currants, pine nuts, citrus peel, sugar and cocoa. While locally produced Umbrian ingredients can be difficult to get, you can still approximate the flavors of this unique Italian region in your kitchen. Keep it simple, keep it rustic, and enjoy the smoky savory simplicity of Lenticchie con Salsicce, a stew made with lentils and sausage. Hungry for More?

Umbria - Umbria Region Italy - seeitalia.com Overview The Italian region of Umbria is one of the smallest in the country. Located in the mountainous regions of central Italy, by the valley of the Tiber River, this tiny sector of Italy thrives in historic tales of medieval flavour. Originally populated by the Umbri Tribe in 600 BC, Umbria (as named after the tribe) is blanketed by much mystery and shadow (or coincidentally, "Ombra" in Italian). For many centuries, Umbria has settled in the shadow of its better-known neighbour, Tuscany. Away from the limelight, little Umbria has since retained its cultural roots, as you will notice from the presence of thriving elm forests and numerous castles, monasteries and fortresses. It's hard not to let your imagination run off and wander on the Umbrian hilltops all day and be enchanted by its sparkling rivers in the shadow of night. Umbria is divided into two provinces, Perugia and Terni, of which Perugia is the capital.

Towns included in the Umbrian region's capital are: Assisi, Bevagna, Citta di Castello, Foligno, Gubbio, Montefalco, Noria, Spoleto, Spello, Todi, Trevi, and Umbertide. Apart from its subterranean walls, Etruscan tunnels and medieval aqueduct, Umbrian attractions include the Palazzo dei Priori (town hall), the 16th century Church of San Pietro, the 14th century wooden interiors of Collegio della Mercanzia, and the National Museum of Umbrian Archaeology. When travelling from Rome to Florence, Tuscany by land, you shall be passing through the Tiber Valley, which takes you to some Umbrian towns such as Assisi and Spoleto. While you are there, take some time to explore and appreciate the meekness and beauty of Umbria. ABOUT UMBRIA in ITALY | Discovering Umbria T-SHIRT & CO. UMBRIA The tour programmes we have developed are set within the amazing environment that is UMBRIA, with the focal point of the beautiful Medieval city of Todi and its warm-hearted, generous people.

Todi offers the traveller a splendid array of art, culture, events and festivals across the region. This, together with the unique Umbrian cuisine offered through a large variety of local ingredients prepared in small trattorie and restaurants, and the celebrated wines, provides many great opportunities for a broad range of interests and activities. Thanks to its geographic positions in the middle of Umbria, Todi provides the ideal starting point to reach all the interesting features and typical localities within Umbria, in a short time. Umbria - The Green Heart of Italy Situated in the heart of Italy, with its 8,456 km² of surface and 815,000 inhabitants, it is one of the smallest regions in Italy. To the north it borders with Tuscany and to the South with the Lazio. It is divided into two provinces, Perugia (the capital) and Terni. For 70% of the territory Umbria is covered by the gentle rolling hills for which it is known.

But it also offers a great variety of geo-morphologic characteristics within the gentle landscape, consisting of fertile valleys, mountain chains, plateaus and plains that cross the region from the west to east, giving it a unique and recognizable character. The gentleness of the landscape, the still uncontaminated nature and its central geographic position have earned Umbria the name of the “Green Heart of Italy”. Grand Tour Destination During the 18th and 19th centuries many travellers followed these central Umbrian routes as part of their essential itinerary as they made their way to Rome. The many colourful and varied aspects and the sublime aesthetics of the landscape they confronted, and recorded, are still as present in Umbria today, as they were then. UMBRIA IN THE LIMELIGHT Recently, Umbria has been highlighted as the preferred tourist goal by many prestigious foreign newspapers, among them the New York Times. In an article on April 7th, the New York Times earnestly advised its readers to take their vacations in the "sweet hills and old houses" of Umbria.

While in Australia and in the United States, American writer Marlena de Blasi’s new book entitled "An Umbrian Love Story" (published in the spring of 2007) is experiencing enormous success. For de Blasi, already author of two other books on the beauties of our country, "Thousand Days in Venice" and "Tuscan Secrets" this book is based in Umbria. Published first in the U.S. as "The Lady in the Palazzo: my home in Umbria" followed by the English version entitled, "An Umbrian Love Story", de Blasi continues to recount her experiences as she moves into her restored Palazzo in the centre of Orvieto after two years in San Casciano, in Tuscany. HISTORY The ancient land of Umbria was settled in prehistoric times by the Umbri, from which it derives its name, and later, by the Etruscans. In 295 B.C., it was conquered by the Romans who then settled a number of colonies across the region, constructing the Via Flaminia in 220B.C., the remains of which are still visible and traversible today.

Close by Lake Trasimeno is the site of the famous battle that took place during the invasion of Hannibal, over the course of the second Punic war. After the fall of the Roman Empire the territory became the battlefield for conflicts between the Ostrogoths and the Byzantines with the Lombards eventually establishing the Duchy of Spoleto, which remained an independant Duchy from 571 to the middle of the 12th century. Carl Magno conquered the greater part of the Lombardi dominions yielding the region to the Pope. The conquered cities, however, retained a certain autonomy and were often at war with each other as well as taking part in the major conflicts between the papacy and the empire: the Guelfs and the Ghibellines. The XIV century saw the rise of a number of local seigniories or feudal land holdings under the Papal States where they remained until the end of the 15th century. With events following the French Revolution the region of Umbria first became part of the Roman Republic (1789-1799) and then part of the Napoleonic Empire (1809-1814).

Finally, in 1860 to 61, as a result of the revivalist movement, it was incorporated into the Kingdom of Italy. LAND OF SAINTS Umbria is also noted for the numerous saints that it has produced. Saint Benedict, founder of western monasticism and the Benedictine Order, was born in Norcia in 460B.C. The most important monasteries in the region are those of Saint Peter in Perugia, the Abbey of Sassovivo near Foligno, Santa Maria of Valdiponte in Montelabbate near Perugia, Saint Benedict at Monte Subasio close to Assisi, Saint Salvatore of Monte Corona and the Abbey of Petroia, near Città di Castello. In the 12th century in Assisi the Saints Francis (1182-1226) and Clare were born. The marvellous frescoes of Giotto and Cimabue in the basilica at Assisi do much to evoke the power of medieval religiosity and the mystical fervour of the time.

In Todi, in the crypt of the church of Saint Fortunate, is the burial place of Jacopone , follower of Saint Francis and one of the first poets to compose verse in “vulgar” or ancient Italian tongue. As well as the monasteries of the Benedictines and Franciscans it is also possible to visit the basilica and monastery of Saint Rita at Cascia, while in Terni there is the basilica dedicated to Saint Valentine, who was beheaded in Rome and is known all over the world as the patron saint of sweethearts. ART Romanesque churches, Gothic cathedrals, basilicas and ancient palaces stand testament to the great artistic production that, from the 12th to 14th century, gave Umbria its enduring masterpieces. On the wave of great religious fervour, artists from all the parts of Italy came to the region to work, creating a great body of extraordinary art.

There are two particularly noteable artists who marked Umbria’s artistic triumph: Peter di Cristoforo Vannucci, called “Perugino” (1445-1523) and Bernardino di Betto, called “Pinturicchio” (1454-1513). GASTRONOMY The history of Umbria has also been influenced from a gastronomic point of view. A large part of the region was inhabited first by the Etruscans and then by the Romans. These civilizations had a considerable influence on the Umbrian table that is still obvious still today, especially in the use of legumes and cereals, above all wheat and farro (one of the first cereals or grasses to be introduced into the Meditteranean countries). These ingredients were used as the basis for many ancient recipes. During the Middle Ages, gastronomic culture eminated mainly from the monasteries which produced tasty dishes with as much attention given to the making as to parsimony, in making molto con poco (a lot with little).

The many faithful observances of religious festivals where the Church imposed fasting regimes or dictated an avoidance of meat, also influenced the daily kitchen forcing it to resort, as it does today, to vegetables, herbs, fragrant grasses and also to the abundant produce from the Umbrian lakes. In the traditional kitchen it is possible to discern subtle shades of difference in the dishes produced across the various geographic zones that emphasize the particular diversities for a specific locality. They are neighbors, and therefore similar, but not identical. CRAFTS Craftsmanship in Umbria has preserved the traditions and the ancient modes of production. Again, the origins go back to medieval times but it is obviously in the Renaissance that these arti minori or, minor arts, reach their greatest heights. These crafts have become well known: the ceramics of Deruta and the maiolica of Gubbio and of Gualdo Tadino and the production of beaten iron in Città della Pieve, Gubbio, Assisi, Cascia, Magione e Montone.

The woven fabric of Perugia has gained recognition and prestige as has the table linen and lace of Orvieto and the embroidery of Assisi and of Città di Castello, as well as the art of carving that is spread throughout the region. Oblo' sul Mondo s.n.c. © Incoming Tour Operator P.I. 02855150542 - Region of Umbria License nr. 10096 TODI - UMBRIA - ITALIA

Question: Perugia is the capital of which Italian region?
Answer: Umbria